Plot hole: Muir arrives in his office at one point and his secretary has left a bottle of scotch and a glass with a note to enjoy his retirement. But Muir had already left the office for good earlier that day (around 3pm), and said goodbye to his secretary. She had no reason to think he would be back, and so there would be no reason to hold out on the gift. Had he not heard a news report from China on his way out, he never would have returned.

The hat that Brad Pitt wears in the 1985 scenes is a Padre's hat with navy, orange and white as the colours. In 1985 the Padre's colors were brown and yellow. The color change didn't come until late 80's or early 90's.